Mock Paper

Paul Garro
Comp 1109 Section 2
November 6, 2010
Performance Enhancing can Enhance the Economy
Throughout professional sports there are more and more athletes that are found to be using steroids. The management of the various sports spends a lot of money trying to prohibit and root out the athletes that are using this performance enhancing substance. I propose there are great benefits to making steroid use mandatory rather than spending money trying to police something that the athletes are going to do anyways. If all athletes were using steroids it would result in better performance during competition, making more people want to watch. With more people watching both in the stands and especially at home on the television more revenue would be generated. The end result would be greater glory for athletes, happier fans, and a thriving economy.
Let us look first at the impact that steroids has on baseball. The yardstick by which most baseball players are measured is the number of homeruns they hit. In a recent interview Barry Bonds said, “I knew that I had to do something to save the game that I love. They (the steroids) gave me the edge that I needed to give the fans what they wanted: more homeruns��? (Loren). This goes to show that there are athletes that are willing to do what it takes to improve performance. I feel if there were more athletes using steroids we could possibly see 20-30 homeruns per game. Results like that would definitely draw more people into the stands.
More people in the stands is just what professional hockey needs. Low ticket sales, and even lower television ratings, are killing this sport. With the popularity of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) getting bigger every day it is safe to say that Americans have a thirst for blood. Let’s be honest, most people that are hockey fans tune in mainly for the occasional bloody fight that may occur. Now, inject steroids into these players and watch the fireworks explode. Steroid induced rage can cause some of the most violent reactions in people, fulfilling the bloodlust that hockey’s viewers so desperately thirst for. A side note to this would be the increased work that would be created in preparation for bigger and meaner hockey players. “With players getting bigger and stronger each generation the glass that is currently in most hockey venues will not be able to withstand the abuse that is to come. Stronger glass needs to be developed for stronger players��? (Attara). Just think of all the glass that would have to be replaced if steroid use made the need come faster. Engineers that would need to work on the technology, as well as laborers to install it, would be put to work in all of the arenas around the world.
American football is another sport that can have implications around the world. With games being held in several foreign countries each year, American football is starting to have a global impact. Football players on steroids could really impress other countries. “The violent hits in American football have great appeal as a marketing tool. Being able to enhance that effect to a greater extent would result in more interest in European nations��? (Dingles).  Imagine a quarterback that can throw the entire distance of the field by being enhanced. Receiving and rushing records would fall almost every year. Hard hitting would get even harder: making it necessary to develop better equipment. This is another instance that steroid use would put other people to work.
No one is denying the adverse effects that steroids can have on the human body. However, I believe that the positives that can come out of it would greatly outweigh the negatives. Most athletes play for the glory of the game and would gladly take steroids, knowing the risk, in order to achieve that glory. It should be an individual’s right to choose if they want to take that risk by participating in professional sports. Take the case of James Whitman who is a basketball player who openly uses steroids. He has been petitioning the NBA to lift its ban on performance enhancing substances. He is hopeful that someday he will be allowed to show the world how good he is. Whitman is quoted in an article by Devin Johnson as saying,  “No one in basketball today is better than me. They would have to raise the rim to 15 feet just to give the other guys a chance.��?
The effects of steroid use in sports can be vast. By increasing the appeal of sports and attracting more viewers, more revenue can be generated. Having to develop new technologies and equipment would lead to more jobs as well.  No one would be forced to take steroids. If someone does not want to use steroids then they don’t have to play professional sports. It is my thought that a stronger athlete would result in a stronger economy.
Bibliography
Attara, James. “Hockey glass made stronger” Hockeytalk.com. <em>Hockeytalk</em>, 29 Dec. 2009. Web.  2 Nov. 2010
Dingles, Gerald. “Big, Better, Faster: Steroids Are a Must for American Athletics��?. Bangor, Maine: Genes Press, 2006. Print
Johnson, Devin. “Roids and Rebounds: The New Basketball” Athleticscience.com. <em>Athletic Science</em>, 21 Aug. 2009. Web.  2 Nov. 2010
Loren, Richard “Bonds, a visionary ahead of the times” <em>Duluth News Tribune</em>(MN) 20 Aug. 2010, Baseball: NewsBank. Web. 2 Nov. 2010